Janata Dal - United chief Sharad Yadav on Friday strongly denied that his party was gravitating towards the Congress and the United Progressive Alliance in the wake of its support to Pranab Mukherjee's Presidential candidature."That is absurd. It has no meaning," he said when asked about perceptions of his party cosying up to the Congress.
Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav, whose party had supported the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee, on Wednesday skipped the swearing-in ceremony of the new President, saying his presence there would "not have made a difference".
The Janata Dal-United will contest all 403 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, party chief Sharad Yadav said on Wednesday after failure of talks with National Democratic Alliance ally Bharatiya Janata Party for a tie-up.
Yadav said the nationwide strike has affected over 35 lakh (3.5 million) people.
He sought interim stay of the decision of Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu.
Changing his earlier stance, Janata Dal-United President Sharad Yadav on Thursday asked Union Minister P K Bansal to tender his resignation over the railway bribery case involving his nephew as Opposition protests grew louder against the minister's continuation.
National Democratic Alliance will decide its prime ministerial candidate at the "appropriate time" ahead of the next general elections, Janata Dal-United national president Sharad Yadav said on Friday.
Sharad Yadav was unanimously re-elected Janata Dal-United's national president for the third consecutive time even as he made a fervent appeal to keep the National Democratic Alliance intact.
Janata Dal-United president Sharad Yadav on Tuesday welcomed Nobel laureate Amartya Sen's comment that he does not want Narendra Modi to be the country's prime minister and said he agreed with the renowned economist's views.
Attacking Narendra Modi for using Lord Ram's picture on the stage backdrop at a rally, Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav on Tuesday charged that Ram Temple issue was BJP's hidden agenda and the party has chosen Varanasi as the epicentre to spread communalism in the country.
"The current situation in Bihar is very disappointing for me. The mandate by the people of Bihar was not for this. I don't agree with the decision taken in Bihar. It's unfortunate," Yadav said.
Even as Janata Dal-United backed Pranab Mukherjee's candidature for the President's post, party chief Sharad Yadav denied any rift in the National Democratic Alliance, saying that the JD-U's support was for the next President and not for the United Progressive Alliance.
Controversial former Member of Parliament Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who was acquitted in the murder of Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Ajit Sarkar last year, joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal on Monday.
The Janata Dal-United has decided to contest the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections by itself, Sharad Yadav said at Bengaluru on Monday.
Yadav also attacked his own party president, George Fernandes, while praising the ruling United Progressive Alliance government at the centre for controlling "elements like Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Praveen Togadia".
A day after walking out of the National Democratic Alliance, Janata Dal-United President Sharad Yadav on Monday said his party could consider coming back to the alliance if veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani gets back at the helm of the party.
Rajnath came down heavily on the National Conference-Congress alliance over its poll promise of restoring Article 370 and said it is impossible as long as the BJP is there.
Janata Dal-United President Sharad Yadav on Thursday tied himself in knots over his remarks that appeared to favour L K Advani as National Democratic Allaince's prime ministerial candidate for the next general elections.
Sources close to Yadav said he had conveyed to Kumar his view that he was not keen on continuing after leading the party for 10 years and that a new person should be put in command.
Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav, his party colleague Pawan K Verma in Bihar and senior Congress leaders B K Hariprasad and Rajiv Gowda of Karnataka were among the 12 candidates who filed their nominations on Monday on the last day for June 19 elections for Rajya Sabha berths in 4 states.
Yadav remained unapologetic for his comments on women's complexion in the RS.
Janata Dal-United President Sharad Yadav was on Thursday elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar, but in two other seats, the party's official candidates were facing stiff challenge from Independents backed by rebels and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Announcing the party decision, Bihar JD-U president Vashishtha Narayan said, ""It was a necessary step because being leader if a person indulges in anti-party activities it has to be condemned unanimously."
Sonia Gandhi on Sunday hosted her first Iftar in three years, which saw the Congress president sharing a table with leaders of RJD and its new-found ally Janata Dal-United.
However, the SC allowed him to retain his official bungalow.
As the political drama unfolds in Bihar, Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav on Monday said the decision of Nitish Kumar to quit as Chief Minister is 'final'.
Sharad Yadav on Wednesday expressed regret and said he respected her and had defended her earlier
The confidence of 11 crore people of Bihar has been "broken" due to Nitish Kumar's action, he said.
Sharad Yadav came out all guns blazing against Jitan Ram Manjhi for causing damage to the party.
Yadav stuck to his guns, saying "Whatever I have said, I have said."
Sharad Yadav was at the centre of a controversy over his comments on south Indian women.
Ending speculation, Janata Dal-United Chief Sharad Yadav has been re-nominated from Madhepura as the party released the second list of 32 candidates for Lok Sabha election in Bihar.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party falling short of a majority in the Lok Sabha and needing the National Democratic Alliance partners to form the government at the Centre, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United head Nitish Kumar and Telugu Desam Party's N Chandrababu Naidu have emerged as potential kingmakers.
Sanjay Jha's importance lies in his connections to senior BJP and RSS leaders to maintain a smooth relationship within the NDA government in Bihar and at the Centre and to contest the 2025 Bihar assembly elections together under Nitish Kumar's leadership.
The sources said the opposition leaders would now plan joint rallies that were put on hold due to the assembly elections.
Amid speculation over the fate of alliance between the Janata Dal-United and Rashtriya Janata Dal ahead of the crucial Bihar polls, JD-U President Sharad Yadav on Thursday insisted that both the parties will fight the assembly polls in the state together in alliance with the Congress to challenge a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party.
The former national president of JD-U was addressing a public gathering on Tuesday in Bihar's capital, Patna
Sharad Yadav, President of the Janata Dal (United), is one of the architects of the proposed merger of six political parties who trace their roots to the erstwhile Janata Dal. Yadav tells Archis Mohan how the grand alliance with Left parties and even the Congress is the need of the hour.
'Singh was forced to submit his resignation to Nitish Kumar few days ago and convinced to announce his offer to resign at the party meeting.'
'Reports of the JD-U joining hands with the BJP again is baseless.'
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